Bibi Dong: What Are the Crouching Dragon and Fledgling Phoenix?

"Would I, Li Mubai, ever be that kind of man?!"

Bibi Dong froze, then studied Li Mubai's face.

Sword-like brows, starry eyes, and sharply defined features.

His skin was very fair... he had the makings of a pretty boy.

But the hint of stubble at the corner of his mouth gave him a touch of maturity.

She had not expected it.

Li Mubai was actually a true gentleman!

In an instant,

all the poor opinions Bibi Dong had formed of Li Mubai-

a lecher, a beast ruled by his lower half, a two-faced scoundrel... all those labels-

vanished in the wake of those few thoughts.

She suddenly found herself admiring the elder before her, whose inner thoughts made him seem somewhat frivolous.

As for the other elders,

which one did not have a luxurious mansion filled with countless women, gold and silver, jewels, and rare treasures of heaven and earth beyond counting?

Of course,

not all those things had been given to them by Spirit Hall.

Though Spirit Hall treated its members well, even very well, it was not enough to support such a lavish and extravagant lifestyle.

The elders had acquired those things by skimming layer upon layer from what passed through the limited authority in their hands.

Add to that the bribes and gifts they accepted in their daily lives, and their wealth naturally grew.

Bibi Dong knew about these things.

She simply chose to let them happen.

In her view,

the strong prevailed over the weak, the fittest survived, and the strong were revered... those were the unquestionable rules of survival in this world!

Back then, had she not been too weak, and been...

Whenever her thoughts reached this point,

Bibi Dong's expression darkened.

That incident

was like a dark cloud that had hung over her inner world for years, leaving her unable to let it go.

Whenever she thought of that bastard surnamed Qian, she gnashed her teeth in hatred.

She had killed him by now, but her anger remained unappeased.

The dark cloud in her heart

had not dispersed with his death.

Late at night,

she often found herself unable to sleep.

Once she closed her eyes,

in her dreams...

that face, revolting and terrifying, would appear again, replaying the events of that day in an endless cycle.

He had also seemed to say just now that corruption was one of the reasons empires and powers declined... was it really that serious?

Bibi Dong's gaze paused, and she fell into thought.

A long while later,

she came back to herself and nodded slightly.

"Since you're satisfied with your life as it is, I can rest easy."

Satisfied?

Satisfied, my ass!

Li Mubai seethed inwardly, but could only smile on the outside.

A Level 90 Titled Douluo was still no match for Bibi Dong.

He knew his own limits.

But

it might be a different story after some time had passed.

Because... he had a golden finger!

And it was the kind that gave out a ton of rewards!!

His first reward had been a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring, and presumably his second sign-in reward would not be bad either.

As long as he lay low in Spirit Hall for a while, wouldn't the system's rewards make him truly invincible?

When the time came,

wouldn't he be able to do whatever he wanted?

Even marrying both Bibi Dong and Qian Renxue and taking them home would not be out of the question.

As the saying went:

The great Dao should not be so small, and Dao companions should not be so few...

"Elder Mubai, something has been troubling me lately. I wonder if you could help me resolve it."

Li Mubai had been holding his teacup,

sipping the pleasantly warm tea. When he heard Bibi Dong's words, he almost spat out the tea he had swallowed into his throat, spraying it right into her face.

He forced the tea down.

Li Mubai gently set down his cup, a refined smile appearing on his face.

"It would be my honor to answer Your Holiness's question."

"As long as it is something I know, I will tell you everything without holding anything back."

"I only fear that my knowledge and experience are too shallow to clear up Your Holiness's confusion!"

What does this woman want now?

Troubled? You eat your fill, dress warmly, and drink your fill every day. What could be troubling you?

The main thing is...

You freaking want me to do it for free?

You can have all the questions you want!

Just give me a thousand Gold Soul Coins, and I'll spill everything I know.

No money?

Whoever wants to do this thankless hard work can do it. I certainly won't.

Bibi Dong's right hand, resting on her leg, suddenly clenched into a fist, and her heroic brows could not help twitching.

She forcibly suppressed the urge to rush forward and give Li Mubai a beating.

After quite a while,

her clenched right fist finally relaxed.

A gentle smile appeared at the corners of her mouth, and she said softly,

"Don't worry. If you can resolve this problem, I'll be sure to reward you."

Huh?

Did the sun rise in the west?

This woman actually said she'd reward me!

At least she has a bit of a conscience.

If you'd said that earlier, I'd have been more than happy to answer these questions.

Bibi Dong's eyelid twitched.

"Elder Mubai, do you think... Spirit Hall can continue to exist for a long time?"

Li Mubai froze.

Why that question?

If I say Spirit Hall will be destroyed in the future, will she beat me up?

Last forever, indeed...

Spirit Hall has you, Bibi Dong, and Qian Renxue, plus Hu Liena.

That's a Crouching Dragon and Fledgling Phoenix all gathered in one place!

Just three love-brained fools, and you still expect it to last forever? What are you thinking?

But those words absolutely could not be spoken aloud.

With her explosive temper, anyone who dared voice an objection would definitely get slammed!

Thinking this to himself,

Li Mubai smiled gently.

"Of course!"

"Why would Your Holiness worry about such a question?"

"Spirit Hall has a Crouching Dragon like Your Holiness and a Fledgling Phoenix like Holy Maiden Hu Liena. Naturally, it will endure without decline and last forever!"

Looking at Li Mubai, whose eyelids did not even twitch,

Bibi Dong's teeth itched with hatred.

He still dares call Hu Liena and me a Crouching Dragon and Fledgling Phoenix?

Though she did not know what the phrase meant, Bibi Dong had a feeling it was probably not a compliment, but more of an insult.

Since you dare say that, let's see how you explain yourself!

"Elder Mubai, this Crouching Dragon and Fledgling Phoenix sounds quite novel. What does it mean?"

Bibi Dong asked, a dagger hidden behind her smile.

Looking at Bibi Dong's seemingly puzzled face, Li Mubai could not help laughing inwardly and feeling contempt.

She doesn't even know what that phrase means?

Then again... I suppose she wouldn't.

Why would I tell you it's used specifically to praise talented money-losers?

Though he was secretly laughing to himself,

on the surface,

Li Mubai spouted nonsense with a perfectly serious expression.

"Your Holiness, people in my hometown use that phrase specifically to praise exceptionally gifted people."

"A Crouching Dragon is a great talent who knows the heavens above and the geography below."

"And a Fledgling Phoenix is much the same, possessing outstanding intelligence and ability."

"That is how the phrase came about."

Bibi Dong held back the flames rising in her heart and said with a serious expression,

"Is that so?"

"Of course it is. I might lie to anyone else, but I could never lie to you, Your Holiness!"

Li Mubai replied without blushing or missing a heartbeat.

Bibi Dong's face was somewhat flushed, a result of the anger burning in her chest.

To put it plainly, she was furious!

If I couldn't hear your thoughts, I really would have been fooled by you!

The meaning of that thought just now

was not what Li Mubai claimed—that it was a term of praise.